The Death of Stalin: Hilarious, but not in a laugh-out-loud way, this comic retelling of Stalin’s death and the ensuing power struggle is told from the standpoint of the Central Committee, with a fretting, befuddled Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) going up against the ruthless, depraved Beria (Simon Russell Beale). It’s a very original and successful comedy from director Armando Iannucci. Rated R. 106 minutes.

— Mick LaSalle

Death Wish: This is a credible remake of the famous Charles Bronson thriller, taking into account the differences between today and 1974, and starring Bruce Willis as the mild-mannered, upper-middle-class man who becomes a vigilante when his wife and daughters become victims of violent crime. Rated R. 105 minutes.

— Mick LaSalle

Foxtrot: Israeli filmmaker Samuel Maoz consistently surprises with this movie, winner of Israel’s top film award for 2017. It moves from a serious portrait of the grief of an urban-dwelling father (the excellent Lior Ashkenazi) to an absurdist look at a remote desert military checkpoint where most traffic comes from camels. Although the pieces are too disparate to hang together completely, the film always engages. Rated R. 112 minutes. In Hebrew with English subtitles.

— Carla Meyer

Oh Lucy!: An unhappy, middle-aged Tokyo woman (Shinobu Terajima) winds up pursuing her English teacher (Josh Hartnett) to Southern California in this culture-clash comedy-drama from Atsuko Hirayanagi. The film, which mixes both broad and absurdist humor with melancholy and even depressing themes, has some issues, but in the end it’s an iconoclastic piece and a worthwhile character study. Not rated. 95 minutes. In English and Japanese with English subtitles.

— Walter Addiego

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